Page 12 (1/2)

Chapter 12

"Aah!" Gregor had just enough tiave a terrific yank He flew over the side of the boat and would have gone straight into the water if one of his boots hadn't caught on the edge "Ares!" A second yank pulled hiet a good breath of air before he sub under, too, now He could feel the cold water clihs, his knees, his ankles -- oh! So back!

A tug-of-war ensued, with Gregor as the rope For a dreadfulhior beat at the tentacle with his free hand, but it didn't seeot his mouth up to his arm and sank his teeth into the tentacle as deeply as he could He didn't know if he did any real dah for it to loosen its grip a bit Just then Ares gave a big heave-ho and Gregor flew out of the water, coughing and gasping for air He dangled upside down a moment, his boots locked in Ares's claws, before the bat dropped hiush of water rushed out of his uely noticed it was salty, like the ocean

"Overlander!" he heard Mareth cry "Can you fight?"

Fight? Gregor struggled onto his hands and knees and got his first good look at their situation

Tentacles were shooting up over the sides of the boat right and left, their suckers latching on to anything they ca back hatever they had -- swords, teeth, claws, pincers -- trying to sever the appendages fro in the dark water beneath them

"Catch!" he heard Mareth yell, and he saord flying at hirabbed it out of the air by the handle just in tih a tentacle that had encircled his ankle Photos Glo and Zap were blazing But even without their help, Gregor could have seen by the light of the water, which shone an unearthly phosphorescent green "Squid! It's some kind of squid!" he shouted

The three bats were in flight, diving down and ripping with their claws Mareth and Hoere slashing aith swords Twitchtip was a ind of gnashing teeth

"Overlander, your sister!" he heard Ares warn

Gregor turned to see Te Boots The roach'saway at the intruders He was disabling rabbed on to the cockroach's life jacket and pulled hi Boots completely unprotected As Ares dove in to battle for Tee tentacle whipped over the stern

When Gregor saw the suckers latch on to Boots's blanket, it happened again: the strange phenoreater world receded, and it was as if nothing but he and the tentacles existed Around hireen water being beaten into frothy foam But all he was really aware of was the attackers His sword began to move -- not in a premeditative way, but with some instinctive precision and force utterly beyond his control He hacked away at tentacle after tentacle after tentacle and --

"Overlander!" He heard Mareth's voice reach out for hio, no hitting! No hitting!" he heard Boots was crying

The world zoo in the middle of the boat Severed tentacles flopped on the floor around hiasps

Mareth grabbed his shoulders and gave hi It is over"

Gregor's ar the sword, throbbed Four angry red circles, sucker marks, swelled on his forearm He was drenched with sweat and seawater and squid slio home!" carasp and saw her sitting, still half-tangled in her blanket, sobbing, but unharmed Muck from the squid had splattered her as well Teor tossed away the sword, reached out for Boots, and held her tightly "Hey, you're okay You're okay, baby Don't cry"

"Ge-go, Boots, go home See Mama," she sobbed "Ma-ma! Ma-ma!"

That was her ultimate cry of distress When she was upset and none of the rest of theor sunk down on a seat and rocked her back and forth, patting her back, and trying to soothe her ords How much had she seen? And what had she seen him do?

While he held her on his lap, Howard appeared with a pail of water and cleaned her off So her toes